


The Beach

by h_d



Series: Gwaine the Hero [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Beach Holidays, F/F, Family Feels, Homophobia, Hurt/Comfort, POV Arthur, POV Outsider, Summer Vacation, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-16
Updated: 2014-09-16
Packaged: 2018-02-17 14:08:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2312360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/h_d/pseuds/h_d
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gwen accompanies Morgana, Arthur, and Uther on holiday for the first time.</p><p>(Despite the series title, this story has nothing to do with Gwaine.  As with part one, it can be read on its own.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Beach

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Merlin Femslash Week](http://merlinfemslashweek.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr, prompt 3: complementary. It was also inspired by prompt 3 on [this list](http://guarneretoye.tumblr.com/post/94983524637/you-could-be-sad-about-your-otp-but-consider-one).
> 
>  **Warning: This story includes a threat of rape of underage girls.** There's also a mention of violence. 
> 
> Sexual activity between the main pairing, who are both 16, is very lightly implied. However, their relationship may also be interpreted as non-sexual.

For the past eight years, Gwen had walked to the Pendragon house nearly every day after school. She and Morgana were 16 now; while they still attended different schools, they often assisted each other with their assignments. They always sat close together on the floor or Morgana's bed, and sometimes Gwen's arm wrapped around Morgana's waist as they puzzled out their homework. Gwen was far better at maths than Morgana was, while Morgana excelled at spelling and grammar. 

Arthur remembered Gwen's frustration when Morgana explained to her how to diagram a sentence.

"But why will I ever need to know this? I want to be a scientist, Morgana, or a mechanic, like my dad," she said.

"Scientists have to write research papers and grant applications, you know," Morgana replied. Gwen didn't have an answer for that, but Arthur noticed she increased her efforts at understanding.

When the girls finished their work, Gwen always offered to help Arthur. She taught him to understand the basics of algebra far more effectively than any of his teachers had.

At the weekends and during summer holidays, Gwen's father, Tom, dropped her off in the mornings, and the family butler, Geoffrey, drove her home after dinner. Often, she didn't leave for several days, sleeping in Morgana's room and sharing meals with the family. Arthur loved it. He enjoyed Gwen's company, and Morgana had become far easier to get along with since Gwen had become a fixture in their lives.

\-----------------------

Arthur's summer holidays always began about a month after his birthday. He was 14 this year. He had spent the first week of his free time working his way through a stack of novels; some were from his father's library and others were gifts from his uncle Gaius.

One day, Arthur overheard Uther and Tom talking in the hallway outside the breakfast nook, which was Arthur's favourite place in the house to read.

"I'm not sure, Uther. Are you sure they're going to be supervised? Gwen has never travelled at all before," Tom asked.

"Yes. I'll be there, of course, and both of our daughters are responsible young women," Uther replied. "Morgana's French is rather good, you know. The language program at her school is one of the best in the country. If the children run into any trouble, she'll be able to ask for help."

"This holiday does sound like a wonderful opportunity, Uther. But I'm afraid I can't spare the money," Tom said. He sounded very regretful.

Arthur was about to burst into the hallway and offer to donate the considerable amount of money in his own savings account when Uther spoke again.

"Think nothing of it," Uther said. "We can certainly afford it. The children will only have one hotel room, and I can pay for Gwen's flight and meals. Give her a bit of pocket money, if you can, and there will be no trouble at all."

Arthur was pleased to learn that he would be able to put his own savings to use after all. He'd make sure Gwen could buy whatever she wanted, and he knew Morgana would do the same.

"Thank you, Uther," Tom said. "That's very generous of you. I won't forget this."

Uther made a dismissive sound. They talked for a few minutes more, but Arthur wasn't listening. He had already returned to his book.

\-----------------------

When the family butler, Geoffrey, hefted Arthur's suitcase into the trunk of the family car, he turned to Arthur in dismay.

"You're only going to be gone for a week, Master Arthur, and this suitcase is very heavy indeed. What have you packed? You should have asked me to help you," Geoffrey said.

Arthur shrugged. "Books."

"Ah. Well, I can understand that," he said, with a conspiratorial smile, nearly hidden behind his beard. Geoffrey enjoyed reading, also, although his preferred topics, like the history of the American rail system, were far too dull for Arthur, who preferred fiction.

The Pendragons had travelled to France before, but this was their first time visiting Nice. They sat in first class on the plane, Arthur with Uther and Morgana with Gwen. The girls were talking in low voices while Arthur read his latest novel. This book was called _Inkheart_ and was about a girl and her father who were running from danger. Arthur liked it, but it didn't make him long for a similar sort of life. He was more than happy to only read about adventures happening to other people rather than having them himself.

In fact, although the Pendragons travelled often, the thought of visiting a strange city was always rather terrifying for him. He was glad Gwen was coming along this time, because neither Morgana nor Uther ever sympathised with his fears. 

"Arthur," Uther began, tearing Arthur away from his book. "This trip will be more business than pleasure for me, I'm afraid. Some business associates of mine will be staying nearby, and I'll be spending most of my time with them. There's a beach which is very popular with families, though, and I know you'll be safe with the girls."

Arthur nodded without looking up. He had expected as much. His father was absent on most of their family holidays, and Arthur had stopped caring long ago.

"You should try harder to maintain eye contact when you're speaking to someone, Arthur. It's always important to appear trustworthy," Uther said. 

Arthur nodded again, but he didn't meet Uther's eyes. His gaze was piercing, and it made Arthur uncomfortable. 

Uther sighed. "I must have a word with your teachers about your poor habits before classes start this autumn. For now, just be sure to stay aware of your surroundings," he said. 

Arthur returned to his book.

\-----------------------

Uther had lied to Tom, not just about supervising the children, but also about the accommodations for this holiday. The hotel was very posh, and they were staying in a suite, with a master bedroom for Uther, another room with two king-sized beds, a bathroom with both a shower and sunken bathtub, and a living room with a very large television. The bedrooms had televisions, also. Arthur was glad of the doors between the rooms, as noise sometimes distracted him from reading. He knew Gwen wouldn't allow Morgana to watch TV in their bedroom.

Uther disappeared into the master bedroom, and Arthur asked the bellhop to place his suitcase on the bed next to the window. None of the opulence really registered with him. He sat down on a sofa between a pair of large dressers and dropped his carry-on next to him.

He did notice Gwen's reaction, though. As she looked around their room and the rest of the suite, she seemed to be in a sort of daze. She had only brought a rucksack, and she placed it on the other bed. Morgana instructed the bellhop to place her luggage next to Gwen's and immediately opened it to hang her many dresses in the closet.

"Arthur, this is incredible," Gwen said. "We have everything I could imagine. There's even a gaming console attached to the television, did you see?" She perched on the edge of the bed facing him, looking like she felt out of place.

Arthur shrugged. "I don't really like video games. I did bring my travel chess set, though. Would you like to play later tonight?" he said. He looked into Gwen's eyes. They were warm and brown, and always kind. She never made him feel afraid.

"Maybe not tonight," she said. "I'm very tired. I'm not used to travelling. But we can play tomorrow, if you like."

Arthur smiled. He got out his book from his carry-on and continued reading.

\-----------------------

The next day, Arthur was awake before everyone else. Morgana and Gwen were curled together in their bed, Gwen holding her close from behind.

He took a quick shower, then returned to the bedroom in a towel to search through his own suitcase as quietly as possible. He found his swim trunks and returned to the bathroom to put them on, along with a polo shirt. He'd been to beach resorts before; there was no reason for formality. He didn't know why Morgana had brought so many dresses.

Arthur set up his small chess set on the low coffee table in front of the living room television, sitting on the floor. He practised a few moves and counter-moves. He would have preferred to have an opponent, but he still enjoyed the mental exercise.

Before long, Morgana emerged from the bedroom, stretching her arms over head. She was still wearing her pyjamas; they were a deep green silk that hung loose on her thin frame. Arthur suspected she had stolen them from Uther.

"Good morning, Arthur," she said. "May I join you?"

"Of course," he said. He rearranged the pieces back to their starting places. Morgana was a more difficult chess opponent than Gwen; Gwen was the better player, but it was far harder for Arthur to anticipate Morgana's moves by reading her facial expressions. He generally tried to look at her face as rarely as possible, never sure what he might see there.

Uther came out about halfway through their game, and after a quick shower, he bid them a perfunctory goodbye. Neither of them responded.

Morgana won their game and sat back on her hands. "You're not bad, Arthur, but you need to practise a bit more, I think," she said.

"I study chess all the time," he said, defensive. "I've watched videos of all the great players and memorised a lot of the common strategies."

"Yes, but you don't always plan ahead. That's very important too," she said.

He looked back at the board, sullen. He could remember many of the mistakes he'd made in this game. He knew she was right, but he didn't like hearing it.

Gwen came out, then; her hair was sticking up wildly. Morgana laughed at her and gestured at her own hair, which hung loosely down her back in smooth lines, although she couldn't have brushed it yet. Gwen chuckled and shook her head with a fond smile.

Gwen was wearing her pyjamas too, a two-piece flannel affair that was far too warm for Nice in summertime. Perhaps she wasn't used to the ice-cold air-conditioning; in the Pendragon mansion, they usually only needed to open windows in the summer. She was carrying a small bundle of clothes and toiletries.

"Hi Gwen," Arthur said.

"Good morning," she said, smiling. "I'm going to take a shower if neither of you need it yet."

"I'll go after you," Morgana said. "Arthur's already gotten dressed."

They started another game but weren't able to finish it before Gwen came out of the bathroom, wearing a short cotton dress. She took over Morgana's place at the chessboard, which suited Arthur just fine. He smiled at her.

"Has she been beating you again? Honestly, Arthur, you're better at this game than either of us," she said. She studied the board. "I can see what she was trying to do, but you can easily counter it, even now. You let her intimidate you too much."

"I suppose you're right," he said. "I need to remember that. Thank you for the compliment, Gwen."

They finished the game in silence; Arthur didn't make as many mistakes this time, and he managed to squeeze out a win. Morgana appeared, wearing a dress that was very similar to Gwen's, except off-the-shoulder and belted at the waist. He could see the straps of her black bikini.

"Are you going to wear sunscreen this time, Morgana?" he said.

Gwen gasped. "You don't usually wear sunscreen? But you're so pale," Gwen said.

"Oh, I prefer to use tanning oil. I never burn," she said.

"She does burn," Arthur whispered to Gwen. Gwen giggled and Morgana glared at them.

They all took off their shirts to apply sunscreen (or tanning oil). Arthur's was sticky and unpleasant, but it wasn't difficult for him to reach his back. Gwen's bathing suit was a lavender one piece, so she had less area to cover, but she liberally spread sunscreen over her legs, arms, upper chest, and face, carefully rubbing it all in. She beckoned Morgana over, and Morgana covered the area between Gwen's shoulder blades with the cream. Gwen then turned to spread Morgana's oil on the exposed parts of her back. When she was finished, she dropped a light kiss to the nape of Morgana's neck. Arthur saw Morgana smile sweetly. 

"You're going to regret this, Morgana," Gwen said. "I doubt this oil is even waterproof."

Morgana scoffed.

They were all carrying small beach bags. Arthur's held a couple of books and a few of the drinking glasses from the hotel.

The three of them put their clothes back on and rode the elevator down to the lobby. They went to the small cafe next to the hotel, and they all ordered coffee and croissants. Arthur felt very grown-up, even though he put a lot of sugar and milk in his coffee. They all ate quickly, eager to get to the beach, and Arthur paid for everyone's meals.

The cafe was only a block from the beach, but as soon as they left, Morgana grasped Arthur's hand firmly. He tried to pull away, but her grip was too strong.

"Morgana, I'm 14 years old. I know how to cross a street," he said.

"Do you? Did you remember that the cars move in the opposite direction in France?" she said. "You have to look left, then right, then left again, not the other way round."

Arthur was silent. He had forgotten about that. He noticed that Morgana had taken Gwen's hand, as well, and he felt a little less juvenile.

The beach was already crowded, even though it was barely 10 AM. There were a few police officers idling near the entrance to the sand. Morgana didn't let go of their hands until she found an unoccupied patch of sand near the water. She spread out a thick gingham picnic blanket, large enough for all three of them, and placed a few folded towels on the edge.

Gwen was looking around with an awed expression again. "Morgana," she said in a loud whisper. "Those women over there aren't wearing tops! Haven't the police noticed?"

Morgana laughed. "It's perfectly legal here. Why, do you see something you like?"

Gwen blushed and didn't reply. She and Morgana removed their dresses and sat down on the blanket. Morgana fished a pair of large sunglasses with white frames out of her bag and put them on.

Arthur took one of the drinking glasses and headed to the sea to scoop up some water. It was warm, and he looked forward to having a swim later on.

When he returned, Morgana had her head pillowed on Gwen's chest, and Gwen was stroking Morgana's arm. Arthur thought they looked beautiful together. Gwen's skin was dark while Morgana's was pale, although he knew Morgana would be bright red soon enough; it happened every time they went to the beach. Gwen's curls were springy now, not messy, framing her face; Morgana had pulled her own smooth hair into a bun. Even their bathing suits contrasted; Gwen's was far more modest than Morgana's.

He wished he could somehow capture the sweet moment, but his father had flatly refused to buy his children mobile phones, calling them unnecessary distractions, and Arthur had never been an artist. He didn't have a pencil with him, anyway, and the thought of defacing a book for drawing paper was horrifying.

 _I'll just have to remember this scene_ , he thought. _Maybe I can describe it at their wedding._ He had grown up knowing that Morgana and Gwen would marry someday, even if they were both girls. He smiled at the thought of how pretty they would look in their wedding finery. Would they wear suits or dresses, or something else altogether? 

He sat down not far from the blanket with his glass of water and worked on building a sandcastle. He used one of the empty glasses to form a tower, moulding the top edges with his fingers until tiny squares that resembled crenellations began to take shape. He dug a trench around the tower with the empty glass, then filled it with the full glass of water to make a moat. He wished he had a tiny magical sea serpent to guard it. 

Gwen looked up from her admiration of Morgana.

"Oh, I like your sandcastle, Arthur. Can I help?" she asked.

"This part is finished for now, but you can make your own," he said. "You could get some more water from the sea and make a drip castle, if you like, or just make some more towers using the other glass." He handed her the glasses.

She returned with two full glasses, wetted down a pile of sand nearby, and set about making a castle next to Arthur's moat. She dripped the sand, her brow furrowed in concentration, until it formed what looked like an underwater castle made of coral.

Morgana watched Gwen, her chin in her hands. "That's lovely, Gwen. I think a mermaid would live there," she said.

"Yes," Gwen said, laughing. "You and I can both be mermaids, living in this castle under the sea, and Arthur can protect us from his tower, making sure the humans never find us."

Arthur grinned. He liked that idea. 

"Will you find me a friendly sea serpent to live in my moat?" he asked, running his finger through the puddle of water.

"Of course. Sea serpents and mermaids always get along. Didn't you know?" Morgana said. She lay down, her sunglasses still in place. 

Arthur was just thinking about having a swim when an older man in a Speedo approached them. Arthur had admired men before, but this man was nowhere near fit enough to wear a Speedo. Arthur shuddered.

"How nice it is to see young love," he said. He sounded American, or perhaps Canadian. "A white boy and a black girl. I always say that no differences can stand in the way of true love."

"He's not my boyfriend," Gwen said, surprised.

Arthur didn't answer him.

Morgana shot up suddenly. "Our private lives are none of your business, but Gwen is my girlfriend. That's my brother."

"Oh," the man said. "I see how it is. You girls are far too young to know what a real man is like, since you're only around this little boy all the time. You don't want to miss out, believe me. My hotel is just up the street. Why don't you follow me?" He leered at the girls.

Morgana's voice was pure steel, but she wasn't addressing the man. "Gwen, keep an eye on Arthur. Both of you stay right here. I'll be back in a moment," she said.

Gwen looked at Arthur, her mouth open in shock. Arthur wasn't sure what he could do against a grown man, but he wasn't going to let any harm come to Gwen, if he could help it.

Morgana quickly picked up all of their beach bags and marched to the entrance of the beach. The police officers were still milling about. Arthur saw Morgana speaking rapidly and gesturing at the man.

Arthur rarely touched anyone, but he put his arm around Gwen's shoulders. The man looked back and forth between them and Morgana. 

The police officers followed Morgana back to their picnic blanket. The man hadn't run off, and Arthur couldn't figure out why.

Morgana was still speaking to the police officers in French, and Arthur had no idea what she was saying. She translated for the man's benefit.

"I've explained to these officers that you are harassing me and my family, and they're here to escort you away," she said. "They've told me that your behaviour isn't appropriate for a family beach." Her tone was still icy, business-like. Gwen seemed perfectly calm, not shaking or breathing fast. Arthur looked at her face. She was staring at the man with a look of pure rage, her chin up and her eyes narrowed.

"But I haven't done anything wrong. Admiring pretty girls isn't a crime," the man said. "Explain that to them, why don't you?"

"Admiring us isn't a crime, but threatening us with lewd comments is another matter," Morgana said.

The man dug his heels into the sand, refusing to leave. The police officers had to force him into handcuffs and drag him away. Arthur, Gwen, and Morgana all watched as he was taken up the beach and down the street.

"Well, that was unpleasant," Morgana said. She hadn't removed her sunglasses at any point during the incident. She handed Arthur and Gwen's beach bags to them. "I don't much fancy being here any longer today, do you?"

Arthur and Gwen shook their heads.

"Good, then. Let's head back to the room and order some room service. I'm famished," she said. 

Morgana took their hands again and led them back to the hotel.

\-----------------------

It wasn't uncommon for guests at this sort of hotel to wear their beach clothes into the lobby, but it was frowned upon. Arthur saw a desk clerk glaring at Morgana as they walked past. Morgana took no notice. She still hadn't dropped Arthur and Gwen's hands.

They returned to their suite. Gwen excused herself to the bathroom, and Arthur and Morgana headed into their bedroom.

Arthur looked at the floor. "Thank you, Morgana," he said. "That was very brave."

She sat down on the couch. "It was nothing. I wanted to break his nose. I'm just glad the police were nearby."

Arthur's eyes widened. "You can break someone's nose?"

"I don't know, probably. I think I could, if I had to protect you or Gwen. I hope I never have to find out," she said.

Arthur sat on his bed. He had never really been sure how Morgana felt about him, but at the moment, he was sure that she loved him. It was rather morbid that it had taken the threat of violence to show him her true feelings, yet it was very fitting, somehow. She had always been so fierce. 

He was glad she had taken care of them today. He vowed to learn at least a little of the language the next time they took a family holiday to another country, and perhaps some useful fighting moves, as well.

Gwen entered the bedroom, wearing the same cotton dress over her swimsuit. She sat next to Morgana on the couch. She took Morgana's face between her hands and kissed her softly, then trailed her hands down Morgana's arms. Arthur felt he was intruding and searched the bed for the book he'd been reading last night.

"Ow," said Morgana. 

"Is that any way to respond to a kiss?" Gwen said.

"Sorry, no. But—" 

Arthur looked up. Morgana was bright red; her face, her arms, her stomach, and her legs were all badly sunburned. Gwen pulled away and removed Morgana's sunglasses. They had left little white circles around her eyes, her normal skin tone looking almost translucent, surrounded by all that red. She looked like an odd-coloured panda, but Arthur wasn't going to tease her about it.

"Oh no, Morgana, you really got burned! You must be in a lot of pain," Gwen said.

Morgana shrugged, but then she winced.

"Come on, let's get you into a nice cool bath," she said. She led Morgana into the bathroom and closed the door.

Arthur read his book.

After a while, Gwen came back into the room. "Arthur, can you order us some food and ask for a bucket of ice? I'm sure they speak English at this hotel," she said. "We can wrap the ice in some towels and hold it on the worst of the burns, if we need to. She's in a lot of pain." Gwen went back to the bathroom.

He nodded and did as she asked. The voice on the phone was heavily accented, but Arthur was sure he'd managed to order them croque-monsieurs and ice.

When the food came and Arthur signed for it, Morgana and Gwen appeared. Morgana was wrapped in several fluffy white towels. 

"Lay on the bed, now," Gwen said. "I don't have anything special for sunburns, but I do have some lotion."

Morgana lay on her stomach and Gwen removed all of the towels except one, which she lowered until it was just covering Morgana's bottom, one of the few places on her body that was still unburnt. Gwen gently rubbed the lotion into Morgana's back.

"I'm not going to say that I told you so," Gwen said. "You're suffering enough to have learned your lesson. But I'm not letting this happen again, right? I'm going to buy you the highest SPF sunscreen I can find and make you wear it tomorrow, and every other day, even back home, if I have to."

Morgana groaned. 

"She can just use mine this week, Gwen," Arthur said. "I told her this would happen, too, and I certainly don't mind saying it." 

"Oh, Arthur," Gwen chided. "Let's not fight. She was our knight in shining armour today. Let's just think of these as battle wounds, even though we all know that's not quite true." Gwen laughed and Arthur heard a small chuckle from Morgana.

"Go take a shower, Arthur. Give her some privacy while I do her front," Gwen said.

He headed to the bathroom and peeled off his wet swim trunks. He hadn't gotten burnt, but the shower felt rather nice on his skin, washing away all the sand.

When he came back, Morgana was wearing the green silk pyjamas again. She was propped up on pillows against the headboard, and she and Gwen were eating their sandwiches. It looked like even chewing and swallowing were difficult for Morgana at the moment.

"You'll feel better tomorrow," Gwen said. "She will, won't she, Arthur?"

"Sometimes it takes about a day, sometimes more," he said. Gwen sighed.

At that moment, he was feeling very grateful towards both of them. They were both his sisters, even if he was only related to one of them by blood. Morgana had told the police they were a family, something he couldn't remember her ever saying before, and it was true. They would always be family.

"If you want, we could see what films we can rent on the TV," Arthur said. He liked to watch films very much, but he had very different tastes from Morgana or Gwen, preferring science fiction or action to drama or comedy, so they rarely watched anything together. "You and Morgana can choose." 

Gwen beamed at him. "Okay. Thanks, Arthur."

He nodded and handed the remote control to Gwen.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
